Molecular markers - New tools for an old science - The case of tea

Abstract

Recent advances in molecular biology, principally in the development of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (peR) for amplifying DNA have resulted in powerful techniques, which have variously been used to aid tea (Camellia sinensis) breeding in Kenya. This paper discusses progress made in the use of molecular markers to determine the level, structure and origin of genetic diversity among populations of tea and to develop marker assisted selection strategies in tea breeding programmes.